How to Create a Professional Fashion Design Portfolio for Job Interview

February 16, 2018

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2011

What is fashion design portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of your works. It is the first piece of information that you are conveying to your potential employer – and might prove to be the key to deciding whether or not you are likely to get the job.

Creating impact through your professional fashion design portfolio takes a lot of time and effort. But it may be instrumental in gaining you an entry into the fashion design world.

With so many blogs, articles and information around, the task of deciding on how to create an effective portfolio seems uphill. But, we bring you the most trusted tips that can help you create your portfolio that might will make the right impression, and hopefully, get you your dream job.

What should the contents of your portfolio be?

A good design portfolio should include your curriculum vitae, fashion illustrations, perhaps some of your pattern cuttings and computer-aided designs.

Additionally, it might be a good idea to include sections that may be of value to you – as an individual. Depending on where you want to lay more emphasis and the requirement of the job profile, the number of works in each section can be increased or decreased.

The following section offers useful tips and information on how to create a professional fashion design portfolio that will create the right impression on your employers.

Visual effect

The portfolio aims to create an impact – which is the need to be able to stand out from amongst a sea of applicants. One of the foremost things to keep in mind is that the design portfolio needs to be visually engaging and appealing.

The reader must be compelled to read further, to know more. By use of right kind and amount of images, by using the right color scheme, the portfolio will create an impact that will work to increase the likelihood of you landing a job.

Get your information right

One of the most common errors that we make is to make one standard portfolio for all potential employers. It is like putting everything on the platter and leaving it on to the employer to choose the relevant information.

The focus needs to be on making it easier for the employer – understand what the job demands and include that very specific collection of works in your interview portfolio. Most of the jobs are looking for specific requirements in their candidates.

And while this may seem like the most ‘commonsensical’ thing to do, this is often ignored. One size may not fit all, and therefore, go through the requirements to identify what the requirements of the job are. With that in the background, choose your works.

Organizing is the key

Once you have a clear vision of what you want to put in your portfolio, the next step is to organize. Your interview portfolio needs to tell a story – your story, most logically and coherently.

For example, do you want your works to show links between different angles that you may have worked on?

Or do you want to keep things simple by showcasing your works in a chronological way?

The answer to these fundamental questions must be clear to you before you start working on your portfolio.

Needless to say, the theme needs to be consistently followed throughout your work, in addition to it being explicitly clear to the reader.
At the same time, however, the safest option is always to display the most recent works first and go from there – the chronological sequence method.

Invest in a good portfolio, have a digital version

It is critical that you invest in a good portfolio material. The size, material, frame, color, etc., all play an important role in deciding the overall look of the portfolio.

Steer clear of those cheap binds, logos and flimsy papers. Your fashion design portfolio will last you for years, so treat it as an investment.
In today’s digital world, also consider having a digital portfolio as well.

Many employers may request for a digital version first – as a preliminary screening technique and make sure that you are ready for it. Remember, digital version need not be the replica of your full portfolio.

Pick out the most important (and relevant) information in the online version, and make sure that it is practical enough to be sent as an email. A file that says 100MB will never be downloaded.

Showcase your strengths

This is the golden principal – the purpose of your professional fashion design portfolio is to showcase your strengths. And it should do exactly that.

If there is something that you are not very good at, find a way to avoid putting it on the interview portfolio. Adaptability is crucial in determining the outcome of your work portfolio – selecting the works that are a true indicator of your capability.

Edit, edit and edit more

You may have been working on your work portfolio for a long time now and may be tempted to consider it as done.

However, read, read and re-read it as many times as possible. The more you read, the more you may be able to point out the potential mistakes in there and rectify them. This exercise might also help in identifying elements that may not quite fit in your story.

It might also make perfect sense to take unbiased opinions from someone in the market.

If it convinces them of your story, maybe your potential employers will get it too. And if not, it will give you an opportunity to make it better. The process must continue until the final product is satisfactory.

The digital industry is extremely competitive. Every year, there are more and more number of professionals who pass out of institutes, ready to join the workforce.

The deciding factor in who will find a job might lie with your design portfolio. Creating that perfect design portfolio is sure to take time – deciding what to put is going to be as time-consuming as finding a way to put it.

To add to this, different job profiles may call for constant tweaking in your portfolios, all the times. But, considering the role it is expected to play in finding your dream job, the efforts must be made.

A word of advice –

The task of finding a position with a premier design company is not easy. While your efforts in this direction must continue, it might not be a bad idea to start gaining hands’ on experience as a freelancing.

Today, so many opportunities are available to those, who are capable of delivering a quality outcome. Besides offering a taste of real life assignments, they will also show your inclination to work and add up a great deal to your resume.

Therefore, keep the hunt on, and don’t shy away from taking those off-the-job assignments. While they may not pay you as much as a routine job, they may enhance your portfolio by leaps and bounds.